Oil agglomeration process

Claim 1

In a method for producing agglomerate particles from an aqueous feed slurry containing from about 10 to about 40 weight percent solids, said solids comprising finely divided carbonaceous solids and finely divided inorganic solids said inorganic solids comprising sand, pyrites and clays by mixing said aqueous slurry containing said solids and oil in a first mixing zone to form a mixture and thereafter further mixing said mixture in at least one other mixing zone thereby forming product agglomerate particles containing said carbonaceous solids and said oil and recovering said product agglomerate particles, the improvement comprising; (a) separating finely divided inorganic solids consisting of sand, pyrites and clays from said aqueous slurry after separating said product agglomerate particles therefrom; (b) thereafter separating smaller agglomerates of said carbonaceous solids and oil below the size selected as the minimum in said agglomerate recovery step from said clay containing aqueous slurry after separation of said product agglomerate particles and said inorganic solids therefrom; and (c) recycling said smaller agglomerates to said other mixing zone.